Photon Magazine July 2012 Awarded good marks to the Growatt 5000MTL
The latest issue of industry bible: Photon International has an in depth Growatt inverter review of the 5000MTL. A popular 5kW solar inverter from China.
It performs well in the efficiency tests, scoring an A grade at high irradiation (i.e. strong sun) and a B grade at medium irradiation. It ranked in the top third of all devices tested by the magazine over the past few years.
So to cut a long story short – Growatts are one of the better Chinese inverters out there. And they are certainly a lot cheaper than the European inverters on the market.
But there is a question mark over the quality control in the Growatt factory.
The first inverter that the manufacturer provided the Photon Magazine’s labs for testing actually failed during the test. They had to get a replacement inverter to finish the test.
I think this highlights the tradeoff you are making if you choose a cheaper, Chinese inverter over a more expensive, European model.
Whilst the new breed of Chinese inverters are stellar performers efficiency-wise, sometimes beating their European counterparts, their reliability is just not quite there yet. And this is perfectly understandable. Most of the Chinese companies have been around less than 5 years, whereas many of the European companies have been in the game for decades.
That means the Europeans have had decades to learn what makes an inverter reliable and tweak their designs every year to improve that reliability. And if you have been making inverters for thirty years, then I would argue that you are a lot more convincing when you promise that your inverter will last for 20 years plus!
So am I saying you should always buy an expensive European model over the Chinese models?
No, I’m not.
Let me be as clear as I can be:
If you want to buy an inverter that has the highest likelihood of lasting over 15 years without failure, and you can afford to pay for it, then go for an inverter from a manufacturer that has been making them for decades. e.g. SMA, Fronius, Enphase or Delta.
If you are on a budget, then the good Chinese inverters (e.g. Sungrow, Zeversolar) are great performers and their reliability is improving all the time. But get a 10 year warranty and make sure both the solar installation company and inverter manufacturer has an Australian presence and a reputation for fast warranty claims at no cost to you.
After all, being pragmatic about it – if your Chinese inverter fails after 10 years, bearing in mind the plummeting cost curve for consumer electronics, a replacement will probably cost a fraction of today’s price. And the replacement will probably be cheaper than the extra you’d pay for a European model today.
What do you reckon? Spend more for the European models? Or be “economically pragmatic” and get a good Chinese brand with a good warranty? Let rip in the comments below!
About Finn Peacock
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Ask me in 10 years time…
Hi Finn – we have 3 phase power going into the circuit board for the house. I’m looking at installing around 5.5kw of panels and using a SunGrow 10kw 3 phase inverter. Will this be OK efficiency wise ? Alternatively, would 3 single phase 2kw inverters be better ? Finally, I could use a German 10kw inverter by the name of Steca – do you know if these are any good please ?
Regards
David
Sungrow are one of the better Chinese brands. I would use a 3 phase inverter over 3 separate single phase inverters, it is a lot simpler and cheaper.
More info on 3 phase solar here: http://www.solarquotes.com.au/blog/3-phase-solar-what-you-need-to-know-about-connecting-solar-to-your-3-phase-supply/
I’ve no experience of Steca, but theiir 3.6kW model is the second highest scored inverter ever in the Photon Magazine listings, so I would take that as a mark of excellent quality.
Hi Finn
Thanks for your time & comments ans link in your blog. Just a couple of more things …
I was keen on the Trina “Honey” panels but RFI Ltd have overpriced them and after looking at your solar panel comparrison table I am thinking of using either SunPower (Wuxi Shangpin) or Simax panels owing to their high rating. I am probably tending towards the former as they are California approved while the Simax is not. Do you have any thoughts on either of these please ?
Additionally, we will probably end up using a Samil 10kw inverter as we have contacts in the industry (likewise with the panels) who deal with Samils. I have read you excerpts in your blog on a Samil tested by Photon and note that you expected the positive results Photon obtained would probably apply to the rest of their range. A German friend of mine has read (in German) a very positive test of a 15kw inverter so the quality probably does apply across the range. Have you any thoughts on a Samil over a Sungrow ?
By the way, I stumbled over your website knowing next to nothing about solar power and it has been an invaluable resource with clear and concise information which is at times amusing, long may it continue !
Samil Power is an Australian-owned company. It is the Australian brand with manufacture in China like Suntech.
Both of its SolarRiver SR4K4TLA1 and SolarLake 15000TL have been awarded Double A Grades tested by Photon Lab respectively.
As far as I know, inverters from Samil Power should have lower failure rate and high efficiency compared with some top European companies.
The big ‘problem’ I see if the fact that this whole field is constantly evolving; the cost point viability of having the same system installed continuously for 20 years is no way sure; i.e. if a system comes out in 5 years time that is half the cost for the same power output; you end up with an expensive ‘white elephant’ – as its intrinsic value cannot exceed that of the new system. OR put it another way, as soon as new system comes out, your old system value cannot be resold for more than half the cost of the new system…. you have to ‘write off’ half your investment.
As to how likely such a situation is? 20 years is a LONG time for tech to evolve radically. This is an important consideration to take into account when installing solar, as the grants have dried up in most places – which means you have to evaluate them at cost/benefit fundamentals with a realistic risk assessment in write down.
Now given this, it might be actually prudent to buy the Chinese inverters; as you would be expecting to upgrade your system over time, so you would be wanting to reduce your capital expenditure upfront whilst acknowledging the tech changes..
A good review? It said in big letters that it had problems! And the first unit they sent for test failed in the laboratory! The review was not good and the machine was non-compliant with the new German regulations. They should have waited until they had a machine that worked before sending it for test. Reliability? Their reputation is Europe is terrible and only just a little better in Australia.
2/3 of your words are totally rumors.
These inverters have passed the latest German regulations VDE N4105 several months ago. And the feed back from Europe, how could you know their reputation in Europe?????
Please respect for your competitor, dear inverter manufactures.
Hi Finn and readers,
I have just installed the Growatt 5000MTL two days ago.
Let me say I am impressed with the quality of and good looks of the unit.
It functioned flaulessly from switch on, it absolutely emits no noise on line with my 1.5kw array at full sunlight.
Also the unit runs as cool (temp) as a cucumber thus indicating its high efficiency.
I hope and feel confident this inverter should give many years of trouble free service.
The only critisism I have is the Chinese English instructions in the remote monitor booklet were a bit hard to follow but I did manage to work it out eventually.
I will be happy if I get 10 years of reliable operation out of this inverter, here’s hoping.
Can not wait to add more panels when I can afford them.
Cheers All.
Theo
I would be interested to hear if Theo is still happy with this product now that he has been using it for 6 months.
I’m thinking of installintg this inverter.
I also think that i’d be happy to get 10 years out of it.
I am Klaus I have one growatt and two other Chinese Inverters all 5kW and all just one year old and all of them slowly have big problems I will never touch Chinese Inverters again Sma is my Inverter know , if you like you can have my old Inverters for free Regards Klaus
Hi Klaus.
What about your warranty??? How come you had to get so many chinese inverters? They all have warranty don’t they?
Also one thing to consider is that although SMA are the market leaders and most reliable, there will always be the possibility of obtaining one that is, lets say, less efficient. Take Toyota for example, they were known for their reliability and safety but still had to recall their products couple years back.
Since you have experience with both, is it really worth to spend almost double amount the money on a top of the market inverter? As mentioned by some people above, with technologies these days you never know what they will come up with in the next 5-10 years.
With getting an expensive top notch brand, you could also risk, spending all the big bucks for nothing with better and improved products being produced eg TVs
Regards Lawrence
Hi Finn,
We have been quoted for & getting instelled a 5kw sysytem with 20 panels, ulica solar panels & a JFY 5000TL inverter. Have you heard of these & what is your opion?
Any feed would be greatly appreciated,
thanks
Ulica panels are pretty good from what I’ve heard – and they get good reviews from customers:
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/panels/ningbo-ulica-solar-science-and-technology-review.html
JFY inverters – I’m not a fan. They are very cheapn (and ugly). And with inverters you get what you pay for.
we have Ulica panel installed in 2013, now it comes with low performance.
I have installed a Growatt meter and failed with error 117 therefore is not charging . Aanyone out there with same issue ?
error 117 means the inverter is faulty
I had a 5 kw 3 phase growatt inverter installed nov 2016 failed April 2017 117 error and flashed up ac f abnormal this means main freq out of range but not so 49.9 -50 Hz and 117 means relay failure. Not impressed but was working well and now waiting 3 weeks for free replacement
HI FINN, WE HAVE JUST HAD A SYSTEM INSTALLED BY TRUE VALUE SOLAR, 12 PANELS AND A 5KWT INVERTER, HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A 3KLW OR 5KLW INVERTER FITTED COULD YOU PLEASE GIVE ME SOME INFO, INVERTER FITTED IS A GROWATT, MANY THANKS
Hi i have just had 5000 growatt converter fitted It says this on the sticker on the side also underneath it has printed rs 232 hope this helps
Tony
why does so many people get sucked in like me with solar? we are getting in return through the inverter 0.08 cents per klw which is peanuts, it will take almost 15 years to get our money back. we had our system installed through TRUE VALUE SOLAR 12 panels and a 5klw inverter what a waste of money
Stan – I’m sorry to hear you went with True Value Solar.
But a well installed solar system can give great savings – if it is well installed, and matches your usage. A good installer will advise this (and estimate your savings before you buy).
Please read this – you may be saving a lot more than you think (assuming your system is working – which I would have checked by someone independent other than True value Solar):
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/fb-invisible-savings.html
Hope That Helps,
Finn
I am getting RF interference on my Tv from a Growatt 5000MTL. Unable to get anyone from Growatt to contact me. Canany one Help
Hi Clive
How do you know that it is the Growatt inverter that is causing the interference?
Regards
Lawrence
hi the is a simple fix for the growatt the is a screw inside that needs to be removed contact any growatt dealer and they will sort for you
the growatt 5000mtl is transformerless so should not put out any RF interference. it should be connected with any monit6oring device via bluetooth only so it might be something else i assume Clive
Has anyone ever heard of 250w Perlight Black Pearl Panels and a Xantrax Clipsal Inverter and where do these stack up? i have heard they are the “Best”n the market and i am happy to pay for it as i am someone that would rather do it properly the first time and not stuff around butu need to know if the comapny i am dealing with are reputable and the product are “The Best” after Bosch Panels. They are covered full replacement for 25 years and the inverter has a 10 year replacement warranty as standard so being independantly insured by Zurich Insurance i am confident but would like a second opinion. cheers
hi… finn
I m looking to buy delta 5kw inverter and jkm250p-60 solar panels… pls give some suggestions
Hi,
Are you looking for suggestions on who to buy it from? Or whether the hardware is good?
Finn
HI,
I have a Growatt 5000 tl it’s been great ,never missed a beat ,had nearly 3 years now, a friend of mine got an sma it lasted 8 months then burn’t .
Hi Finn
I have had several quotes in the past two days from various companies and am still confused as they all use different brand inverters and panels. Looking at 8-12 panels with 3-5kw inverter. Quotes have ranged from $2360-$4000. Would appreciate your input
Pam
Pe
Hi Pam,
Shoot the quotes to finnATsolarquotes.com.au and I’ll give you my honest opinion!
Hope That Helps,
Finn
I checked our service stats on Growatts. Installed 345 in Perth since Jan 2011. 5 failures (4 x 5kW, 1 x 3kW models). 1.44% failure rate over 4 years. Not bad at all for any inverter. We stopped selling them about a year ago because we couldn’t get reliable supply in WA but a wholesaler is opening up next month in Perth and is stocking them so I would have no hesitation in picking up this brand again then.
Growatt has a great after sales service.—–
I have a grow watt inverter with my solar panels after 7 or eight years it is just starting to give me trouble by saying ac out of range then it tries to reset itself works for a little while then does it all over again some days it works fine could you please give me an explanation of why this happening thank you Rodney
I purchased a 2KW PV system in October 2011 from Solargain. It used a Solar King SLK 2000 Inverter (Chinese made). The inverter failed in May 2014 and Solargain replaced it under the so called Warrenty. That is, I payed $248 for “labour” for Solargain to install a “reconditioned” Solar King SLK 2000 (read second hand), which was offered with no further warrenty. It in turn failed this month (January 2016).
To quote Queen Victoria “We are not amused”
I have ordered an SMA 2,5kw inverter installed for $1450 with a full 5 year awarrenty. through a local electrician.
Hi Finn.
Looking at solar and had to many quotes, im seriously getting confused with so many options. Im looking at a 6kw system. 2 extremes are
1. $14000 for monocrystalline hanover panels with a growatt 5500mtls.
2. $5400 for jinko polycrystalline panels with sma inverter.
I like the sma but not sure about the mono or poly.
Please any help would be awesome.
Gary.
Hi Gary,
Quote 1 is crap panels, crap inverter, insane price. Who quoted this? It would not have been someone I have recommended. Run, don’t walk away from that one.
Jinko are Good, SMA are one of the best. Price is very good – almost too good.
Here’s what you need to know about mono vs. poly:
http://www.solarquotes.com.au/panels/photovoltaic/monocrystalline-vs-polycrystalline/
Hope That Helps,
Finn
Hi finn are tru value solar any good.my neighbour has one of there systems as has been fine for 4 years now.he has a growatt inverter and 10 panels.
David,
I’m not a fan personally. Here’s why:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/true-value-solar/
Cheers,
Finn
Thanks finn. Seriosly thinking of going with infinite energy. Not the cheapest around but have all the accreditations. And use some of the best product. Regards david stevens
Hi David,
Infinite are very, very good. (Disclosure: they are a client)
Cheers,
Finn
My Growatt 3000TL inverter was installed June 2014 and has not missed a beat.
There may have been issues with earlier models, but the latest ones have proved reliable, if you take lack of complaints about them on the Whirlpool forums.
🙂
Thanks for the feedback David – interestingly our reviews seem to be improving for Growatt Inverters too:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/inverters/growatt-review.html
Hello Finn,
I currently have a 2kw system and the inverter has packed it in. The company who make the inverters has gone into liquidation (EV Blueline).
Due to the government stopping the 25c buy back in December is it better off me replacing the 2kw inverter or upgrading to a 4kw system and losing the 25c buy back now.
Hi Dean,
If you are on a Gross FiT, then your earnings until 31 December will be about 8kWh x 135 days x 25c = $270.
If you get put onto a 7c FiT (such as Powershop’s) by upgrading your solar system, you will $200 out of pocket because you lost the premium FiT for 135 days.
You will save much more than $200 by upgrading to a larger solar system, so I’d upgrade your inverter and take the $200 hit.
Hope That Helps,
Finn
Thank you Finn, good to have easy advise on hand.
Hi Finn my UFY JSI 3000 TL inverter died after nearly 4 years use (5 year warranty?). I have 16 x 190 W panels for 3kW system. The electrical installer and solar company are no more. Is there any way I can get warranty claim processed in Australia. failing that could you recommend an efficient and reliable replacement inverter?
Cheers
Michael
Hi Michael, Ronald here. Because your inverter warranty is provided by the manufacturer you are still entitled to a repair, replacement, or at least a partial refund from them. I’m guessing you have a JFY inverter. (Their logo makes it look like UFY.) I found a page here:
http://jfytech.com.au/service/
Where you can report a faulty inverter and there is a phone number and email address.
Good luck!
Hi I had solar kits 3 kw installed by true solar 5 years ago ,cost me $8000 dollars ,my inverter blank no display number True solar they use cheaper inverter of china aeuro sharp ,in the receipt they said 10 years warranty,I make the called to true solar they’re refused to repair with reasonable I’m not services my solar system after installation 2 years,I I have to waiting for 2 months with technicians coming to check .i leave my phone number but no one call back ,then I can’t waiting for thems I paid for new inverter $1000 dollars .im not happy with True solar
Hi I had 8 panels installed in August 2012 with a Rewatt 1.5 inverter with a 5 year warranty. The installation of the panels was a pain due to sloppy workmanship picked up by an ethical electrician. Needless to say, Western Power became involved and the problems were corrected…..some was dangerous and incorrect. Now, 5 years later, my inverter has stopped converting dc current from my panels. The inverter shows no fault lights and all else is running ok…………except that no energy is being produced! Regen who installed the units pretty much said that they could fix the problem with a new inverter at a cost of $900 plus $200 for a 10 year warranty. Would not recommend Regen in spite of their regular full page ads in the weekend papers. They couldn’t care less. Having problems finding someone who knows what they are talking about and can recommend/install a reasonably priced, reliable inverter that isn’t thrown together in China. Any ideas?
Hello Gloria
If you follow this link and fill in the information we can arrange for someone to get in touch with you who can help you:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/quote/quote1repairresidential.php
I have just installed the 3 nos Growatt 6000 UE 2 Months days ago.ti is working good.
Let me say I am impressed with the quality of and good looks of the unit.
It functioned flaulessly from switch on, it absolutely emits no noise on line with my 1.5kw array at full sunlight.
Also the unit runs as cool (temp) as a cucumber thus indicating its high efficiency.
I hope and feel confident this inverter should give many years of trouble free service.
The only critisism I have is the Chinese English instructions in the remote monitor booklet were a bit hard to follow but I did manage to work it out eventually.
I will be happy if I get 10 years of reliable operation out of this inverter, here’s hoping.
AmoL Tambe Pune.
I think this is bogus. see the attached review. identical if yuo ask me
Theo says:
August 25, 2012 at 12:46 pm
Hi Finn and readers,
I have just installed the Growatt 5000MTL two days ago.
Let me say I am impressed with the quality of and good looks of the unit.
It functioned flaulessly from switch on, it absolutely emits no noise on line with my 1.5kw array at full sunlight.
Also the unit runs as cool (temp) as a cucumber thus indicating its high efficiency.
I hope and feel confident this inverter should give many years of trouble free service.
The only critisism I have is the Chinese English instructions in the remote monitor booklet were a bit hard to follow but I did manage to work it out eventually.
I will be happy if I get 10 years of reliable operation out of this inverter, here’s hoping.
Can not wait to add more panels when I can afford them.
Cheers All.
Theo
Well it should run cool with only 1.5kw array on a 6kw inverter. I have a 5 kw array and a 5 kw 3 ph inverter and it gets quite hot and thinking of ways to cool it,mind you this is my second inveter the first one failed after about a month and was replaced with a new one which so far is going well now 8months into its life.
Just a point on the monitor which is quite useful but every now and again it reads 9999 on the monthly kw collection so if you are studying the monthly figures it’s a good idea to read the total energy at the end on month as this is reliable and can of course be read on the inverter itself. I have replaced the growatt remote but this fails on monthly read out from time to time also.
For the months June – dec 2017 kw input from 5 kw system is
10 ,12 ,14 ,13.8 ,22.5 ,27.6 ,and 25 Melbourne so quite healthy
Grow watt inveter diplaying erro 56 wat does it mean
I looked in the Growatt inverter manual but I am afraid I couldn’t find an error 56. Sorry.
Had two Delta inverters fail on me within 8 years on a 2.5 kW array, first one after 6 years (so out of warranty) and the second was bought NOS and failed after two years, Delta said they would use the production date as warranty time and was also out of luck…
No I would not advice Delta..
Added another array (6x300W) and bought two GroWatt inverters (one 3kW and one 2 kW) and although they run quite hot at full power they have not failed yet..
My Growatt 3 phase 5 Kw is working fine now 2.5 years old and because it does run hot I have put 2 computer fans on the side and a thermostat to cool them in hot weather and that seems to work well
“If you want to buy an inverter that has the highest likelihood of lasting over 20 years without failure, and you can afford to pay for it, then go for an inverter from a manufacturer that has been making them for decades. e.g. SMA, Fronius, Power-One or Delta”.
This statement frightens me a bit.I have had 2 SMA Sunny boy inverters in 8 years.Both error coded which pointed to an internal problem in the unit.IE.Both were stuffed.1 was replaced under warranty because it was only 2 years old.The second is 10 months out of the 5 year warranty.
That’s how I found this website,because I’m now looking to purchase a new inverter to replace the second inverter and Im afraid I would not rate SMA amongst the best.I think that any of them may become unreliable.Its just the luck of the draw.
I was looking at getting solar power for my home in melbourne and have been quoted for 24 ja astro energy panels and a 5kw growatt inverter by sunpower solar and storage just wandering what your thoughts and i anyone else has dealt with them.
I don’t know that company and after a quick search I couldn’t see anything about them online.
Astro Energy panels are tier one which means they should be reliable. They don’t have an office in Australia so their importer will be responsible for their manufacturer’s warranties. If the installation company is the importer and they go bust they will have no warranty cover.
A Growatt inverter is a lower cost inverter. It’s not one we currently recommend but it may be decent value for what you pay.
at my last house which i sold it had jfy 5000tl suntwins inverter installed was going on 5 years with no problems and worked flawlessly, which goes against the grain of lots of reviews, am going to install system at new house & was quoted with sungrow inverter & seraphim blade panels , just hope inverter is just as reliable
I purchased a 5.5 kw system with a Growatt Inverter in May 2012. Initially installed by Solarutions (Gold Coast)…Couldn’t understand why the system was generating less power than my neighbors 3kw system. Tried contacting Solarutions – they had shifted their offices to Darwin…..after many emails and non returned phone calls…I employed a private solar certified electrician for extra $$$’s…after inspection…said my panels had not been installed correctly…reconfigured the panels…voila…full power….again tried contacting Solarution….offices were closed….hmmm…something fishy here….contacted office of fair trading…company has been deregistered…had paperwork and warranties for the panels and inverter stating coverage for 10 years…September 2019 inverter started faulting…No AC Connection…tried Gold Coast branch of Solarutions..company defunct…Called GROwatt in Sydney…have sent all the relevant paperwork warranties etc…They are very hard nosed nosed about a 5year warranty (seems the 10year warranty was from Solarutions – not worth the paper it is written on) waiting for a definitive response from Growatt but appear it will be a new inverter. Considering Fronius – anyone had any dealings with this company i.e. reliability; servicing; after sales customer care???
Hi TJ
To the best of my knowledge Fronius has always provided the support they promise for their inverters.
Hi,Finn i have try to install 5 kw jinko pannel 3.15 w with growett inverter / or goodwe inverter which inverter the best of two what do think it is ok?
Hi, Ronald here.
Both Growatt and Goodwe are low cost inverters. I suspect they both provide value for money, although Goodwe is only one we are confident enough about at the moment to include in our recommended inverter chart in our Solar 101 Guide:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/solar101.html
While either could suit someone on a budget or who is just focused on cost effectiveness, I’d expect a higher level of reliability from a more expensive brand.
GROWATT crap product. Crap service.
I bought an R11000 inverter 5kva. Lasted 12 months. Won’t work because it requires software update. No such software available. No help from Growatt. PATHETIC!!!!!! Beware potential buys!!! Don’t choose Growatt crap!!
Hi Grant
That’s terrible. Who have you spoken to at Growatt? If you haven’t tried it, their Australian office number is 1800 476 928. If you can’t get any response using that number let us know and we’ll see if we can contact their country manager.
Hi,
Been reading the complaints and your comments. I’m situated on an over 55 estate in the Illawarra area of NSW. We are all signed up to receive the following and I’m wondering if we’re getting a good deal with realiable products.
22 panels : ASTRONERGY 300 W PERC MONO Silver frame ( CHSM 6610M-300
Inverter: Growayy Min 5KW 1 Phase 2 MPPT GRID Connect ( Growatt Min)
Hope you can help to allay our fears that maybe our choice was not good?
Hi Rod, Ronald here.
While Astroenergy panels are not currently among those we recommend in our Solar 101 Guide, they are tier one and so should be reliable and they have an Australian office so they can be contacted if required. (The company name is Chint Solar, so you’ll have to search for that if you can’t find a number for Astroenergy.) They are low cost tier one panels. If you do get them, check the warranty document states they have a 12 year product warranty as it was recently increased to that from 10 years.
Hopefully Growatt inverters are good value for money, but they are the cheapest inverter regularly installed in Australia and you cannot expect the same reliability or lifespan as you could expect from a more premium brand inverter.
Because you are in Illawarra you will need to pay more for solar than if you were in a big city such as Sydney, but because the installer is using low cost hardware it should not be an expensive system. This is the case even if the installer does very good work. I don’t know what prices are like in the Illawarra area off the top of my head, but I would say you should be paying $5,000 or less for this system from a reputable installer. If the price you have been offered is much cheaper, then you may be dealing with a company that doesn’t do quality work and cuts corners.
Hi Ronald,
The rally is with Sun-Boost and it’s the deal offered on the TV which Alan Border is the front man.
Our seniors cost is $3,400. which is a good price but it seems from reading reviews on the net it’s all about the quality of the installation. I will attempt to find out who is going to be doing ours.
I’ll get back to you ASAP
Cheers,
Rod
I would not recommend going with Sunboost. They aren’t a company I’d recommend to a friend. Or a complete stranger. I suggest having a look at their online reviews. Particularly the ones where something went wrong so you can see how Sunboost responds to problems.
Hi Ronald,
Thanks for your opinion. What you say as merit but i’ve spoken with the manafacturer country manager and im happy we are getting good reliable panels. We are getting a good inverter from a company that actyual supports their product so at the end of the day its now up the installer. His name is Ryan from Albion Park and ‘im confident hell do a good job.
After installation i wont be dealing with the company as much so it should be fine.
Hi Ronald,
Here in SA, Sunterra is offering 20x Leapton Mono PERC Half Cell 330W panels, a Growatt 5kW Hybrid Inverter and 2x Growatt 6.5 kWh Lithium batteries for $4990. Seems to good to be true? Would this work with 3 phase power?
That is a low price. Just be aware that you won’t have any backup power with that setup. If the grid stops supplying power your solar system and batteries will shut down. Leapton are low cost panels and aren’t on anyone’s tier one lists as far as I know. I have enough information to say if they are good or bad. Growatt is a low cost inverter.
Before using them I recommend checking Sunterra’s reviews. Here is our review page on them:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/sunterra/
Be sure to click on “Aus Ranking” so you can see how they compare to other installers in Australia, which may not be as good as you might think given the number of stars out of 5 a company has.
Note that batteries don’t pay for themselves under normal circumstances yet. This may change as it becomes possible to join VPPs but my general advice is to wait until you know batteries will pay before getting them — unless perhaps you want them for backup, which you won’t have with this set up.
The growatt hybrid inverter is single phase. It can be used by a household with 3 phase power and since it can’t provide backup power this makes it simpler than it would be otherwise.
Because you have 3 phase power you can install a solar inverter larger than 5 kilowatts and solar panels with over 6.6 kilowatts of total capacity. I recommend looking into getting a large solar system now (preferably with a 3 phase solar inverter) and if and when batteries pay for themselves in the future you can install them then.
On 8 May, 2020, I had a 6.6kw/hr system installed by Solarblu. Twenty Leapton panels were used together with a Growatt 5000 TL-X inverter. The system is working well and is producing about 32kw/h each day which I am happy with when considering the shorter days at this particular time of year. I have two comments in respect of the Growatt inverter, firstly, in the morning until about 11.30 when the unit is in the direct sun, reading the display is impossible and it can’t be read until shaded. Secondly, trying to set up the app on my phone is quite complicated and I have not yet had success. Growatt has not responded to my call for assistance. I am disappointed with Growatt and regret not having proceeded with my original preference for Fronius. Also, my Growatt inverter only carries a five year warranty, and the additional five years if registered with Growatt on-line, as declared on my Solarblu quote document, does not apply with this inverter.
Hi Fin and the people of the WEB.
This comment relates to Warranty and Support..
Recently I purchased a Growatt SPF 5000 ES..
On paper it seems a great piece of kit and it may well be..
The Growatt SPF 5000 ES is replacing a Renogy charge controller and a simple 24volt DC to 230AC inverter in an off grid solution.
Therefore to accommodate the Growatt the batteries required reconfiguration to 48 volts, panels reconfigured in series to get the DC voltage over 120 volts DC etc.. That’s all in hand.
Moving on…
The Growatt SPF 5000 ES installed, PV voltage at 138 volts, batteries at 52 volts, 230 volt AC output everything looks fine.
A few hours after the install was complete I realized batteries were not being charged..I figured it’s not a big deal it must have a faulty charge controller..
Hey that’s why you buy reputable brands.. Support and Warranty..
Now this leads me to my main point, Support.
I’ve called Growatt Australia a few times over the past 48 hours..
The 1800 support phone number has 3 options all of which are directed to a voice mail box which is/are full.
As the phone is never answered you can’t talk to a person nor can you leave a message.
My email for assistance has gone unanswered. (not replied to)
Essentially it appears at the moment the product is faulty and Growatt support does not exist.
This essentially makes this a useless product.
I’m sure there are success stories out there but my experience currently with Growatt is I have a faulty product and there is no support from the manufacturer..
I’ll post again if this situation changes but I’m thinking “silly old me I should have bought the Victron”..
I hope this helps someone determine if Growatt is the product for them..
Thank you all for listening..
Regards
Mark
Hi Finn, Ronald and the people of the WEB.
I’d like to give an update to my previous post on Growatt support.
I’ve solved the issue of the Growatt SPF 5000 ES not charging the batteries.
It was related to insufficient PV voltage. Apparently 138 volts in insufficient for a 120 volt requirement..
By adding another panel into the string the voltage was increased to ~170 volts.. WOW it started charging..
It’s excellent the product is not faulty. Out of spec yes, but it’s working..
Unfortunately the WIFI dongle has failed and I still have the same issue of “How do you contact support when no one answers the support line and you can’t leave a message”.
Thanks for listening.
Regards
Mark
Hi Finn,
I’m in the process of acquiring a 6.6KW solar system through Sunboost and as a result of reading this blog I am considering upgrading the inverter from the standard Solis offered in the package to something more reliable. My Sunboost Rep has confirmed they can upgrade with over 20 Inverters that they supply (Fronius, SMA Sunny Boy, Sungrow, Growatt Goodwee). I initially approached them asking for a Growatt inverter instead of a Solis (until reading the above reviews), and they said they would at no additional cost. The panels are the Trina HoneyM 370W Mono Black Frame 120 Half-Cut Cells Mono(TSM-370DD08M.08(II)) x 18 Panels, and the inverter is Solis 4G 5 kW 1 Phase 2 MPPT Grid Connect
To be honest, if I get 10 years trouble free, I’m happy then have to replace the Inverter as I think the technology would have improved sufficiently during that time to warrant the upgrade.
Could you advise on a reasonably budget conscious parameter, would be be a reasonable cost to upgrade to a reliable customer care backed Inverter please from the Solis / Growatt brands or if in fact noting my 10 year aspiration, the Chinese brands are probably good enough?
Hi Cary
Here is our review page for Sunboost:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/installer-review/sunboost/
Please be sure to click on “See Australia-Wide Ranking” so you can see how they compare to other installers.
They are not a company I can recommend.
If you would like quotes from installers we recommend, you can enter your postcode here and answer the questions that come up:
https://www.solarquotes.com.au/quote/start/
When you are asked, “What type of system are you after?” click on “a good budget system” if you want a reliable but low cost system. We’ll only refer installers who do quality work. Any inverter they use is likely to last over 10 years but if you want a reliable low cost inverter Goodwe now has a 10 year warranty.